Motor-driven sewing machine



Aug. E4, i923.

M. HEMLEB MOTOR DRIVEN SEWING MACHINE xm. m.

M. HEMLEE MOTOR DRIVEN SEWING MACHINE Aug. M, w23.

Aug. i4, H923.

M. HEMLE MOTOR DRIVEN SEWING MACHINE Filed July 22 1919 3` SheebS-Sheetv 5 Patented Aug. M, 1923.

TiN HEMLEB, oE ELIZABETH,

NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE SINGER MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

Moron-naman SEWING MACHINE.

Application led July 22,

To LEZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, MARTIN HEMLEB, a citizen'of the United States, residing at Elizabeth, in the county 0f Union and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Motor-Driven Sewing Machines, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings. y

As heretofore constructed, motor-driven sewing machines, more particularly of the portable type embodying the usual sewing head and carrying case therefor, have been provided with a motor speed controller in the form of a treadle operated rheostat which is adapted to be placed on the floor beside the table or o'ther support for the sewing machine and within convenient reach of the operators foot. When transporting the machine from one place to another, this controller together with the usual connecting wires must be made up into a separate and rather bulky package which renders the complete outfit troublesome to carry around. Moreover, a foot controller of the type indicated is easily shifted out of place and is not, under certain conditions, as

sensitive or responsive to the wishes 0f the operator as might be desired.

An object of the present improvement is to provide a power operated sewing machine with a motor speed controller which is easily manipulated and 'free from the foregoing 4and other disadvantages of prior sewing machine speed controlling devices.

More particularly, the' invention has for an object to provide a portable electric sewing machine with a speed controller which is built into the machine and need not be made up into a separate package for carriage.

Further, lthe invention has for an object to provide a portable electric sewing machine With a manually operated speed controller, which is housed substantially entirely within the usual carrying case of the machine, thus making the complete outfit easy 't0 carry.

o the attainment of the above and other objects, as will hereinafter appear, the invention is preferably embodied in a portable sewing machine including the usual the base of which is preferwith a partition dividing it carrying case, ably provided 1919. Serial N0. 312,618.

into 'two compartments, within the smaller of which is situated a speed controller, preferably a rheostat, which is wired up t0 a sewing motor mounted on the sewing head seated over the larger of the two compartments.

r1`he rheostat is preferably constructed as a unit and is detachably mounted within the said smaller compartment of the machine supporting base; the compartlnent serving to protect the controller or rheostat from an accumulation of dust, lint, oil Src., which would be likely to impair its efficiency and might become ignited from sparks at the usual controller contact points.

An operating hand-lever is provided for manipulating the rheostat, and an important feature of the present invention is the disposition of the handlel portion of this lever along the front edge of the sewing machine bed-plate, the handle terminating close to the line of seam-formation and in the present instance, being depressible or vertically movable to control the speed of the machine Without necessitating vrelinquishment -of full manu-al control of the fabric being stitched.

In the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of a portableelectric sewing machine embodying the present invention. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section through the standard of the sewing head showing'the base of the portable cabinet and motor controlling device in plan. Fig. 3 is avvertical section through the carrying case and controller and showing the rearward end of the sewing head in elevation. Fig. 4 is an elevation of the speed controlling device or rheostat 'with the cover-plate removed. Fig. 5 is a horizontal section through the controller box showing the controller element in plan. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the complete outfit ready for transportation. The present construction is a modification of that disclosed in my copending application Serial No. 311,850, filed July 18, 1919,

land although the invention is herein disclosed as embodied in a portable sewing machine outfit it is to be understood that the invention in certain aspects is not limited to use with a sewing machine of the so-called portable type.

In the accompanying drawings 1 indicates the rectangular hollow base of a portable carrying case to which the usual arched cover 2 is secured by means of the hinge-like catches 3 and lock 4; said cover being provided with a handle 2. The hollow b ase 1 is divided by means of the transverse partition 5 into a relatively large compartment 6 and a smaller compartment 7, the former bein bounded by the four walls 6', Fig. 2, whie terminate at their upper extremities in av rectangular ledge 8 upon which is seated the rectangular cloth or bed-plate 9 of the usual sewing head A which further includes the standard 10 and overhanging bracket-arm 11, in the enlarged free end of which is journaled the reciprocating needlebar 12 carrying the needle 13. The bracketarm also carries the presser-bar 14 to which the presser-foot 15 is secured in cooperative relation with the usual feed-dog 16, Fig. 1, which operates to feed the work along the line f, f, Fig. 2. The sewing head A is thus housed entirely Within the base l and cover 2 of the carrying case.

Mounted upon the standard `10 is a rearwardly extending bracket 17 carrying the driving motor 18 having its driving pulley 19 in frictional engagement with the usual hand-wheel 20 of the sewing head A. v

The motor controller, preferably in the form of a rheostat B, is detachably mounted as a unit within the smaller compartment 7 of the base 1. This rheostat consists of a metallic receptacle 22 which is secured to the ledges 21 by means of the screws 21 and angle pieces 21x and which includes the removably fitted cover 22. Housed within the receptacle 22 is the resistance element 23 comprising the usual contact points 24 and swinging contact-arm 25 carrying the con-.

- tactor 25 and formed with an apert-ure 26 which is loosely entered by the pin 27 extending laterall from the arm 28 fulcrumed on the screw-pm 30 which is threaded into .the exposed face of the cover 22 in substantial alinement with the axis of' pivotal movement of the arm 25. The cover .22 is provided with a slot 32 to admit the pin 27, and with stops 33 to limit the swinging movement of the arm 28.

Horizontally fulcrumed at 34 onthe'cover 22 of the controller box B is an operating `hand-lever C, the rearwardly extending arm 35 of which is forked to embrace the studpin 36 on the controller arm 28. The forwardly disposed arm of the lever Clis lL- shaped and includes a lateral extension disposed in front of and substantially parallel with the front edge of the cloth-plate 9, said extension terminating in a depressible handle 37 closely adjacent the line of feed f, f. The spring 38, which is interposed between the forwardly extending arm of the lever C and the cont-roller box 22, serves to yieldingly maintain the handle 37 in raised or of position, as shownin full lines, Figs. 1 and 3. The front wall of the base 1 is preferably cut away at 39 to afford clearance for the handle 37 when occupying de- Preparatory to operation, the machine is kstationed upon an ordinary table or other suitable support and the cover 2 is removed 80 toexpose the sewing head. Nothing further need be done preparatory to sewing than to connect the block 40 to the source of power. After-` placing the work in the machine, the operator merely depresses the handle 37, thus moving the contacter 25 across 011e or more of the contact points 24 until the del sired speed is attained. The o erator may readily thus manipulate the ever C b means of the-'palm or third.v and fourt fingers of' the right hand, while the thumb and iirst two fingers are being used together with the left-hand for presenting and guiding the Work to the needle. If a changevof speed is desired2 it may readily be secured 95 by lesseninglor increasing the manual. pressure upon t e handle 37. By virtue of the described disposition of the operatin handle, these various movements of contro may be exercised by the operator without relinquishing manual control of the work which, of course, should be accurately guided to the needle while the machine is in operation. The controller compartment 7 may, in practice, be closed by a suitable cover. A

Having thus set forth the nature of the invention, what I claim herein is- 1. A motor driven sewing machine comprising, a sewing head including stitchforming and feeding mechanisms, a substantiallyflat cloth-plate, a driving motor. and a motor-controller including a manually operated device movably mounted on the sewing head and depressible transversely of the plane of the cloth-plate to regulate the speed of the motor, said device being operatively located within range of the operators fore-arm or hand without necessitating removal of the handvfrom its position in guiding the work.

` 2. A motor driven Sewing machine comprising, a sewing head including stitchforming and feeding mechanisms, a driving motor, and a manually operated controller including a-member disposed adja- 126 cent the line of seam-formation and within reach of the operators forearm or hand and depressible to regulate the speed of the motor without necessitating removal of the hand from its position in guidingl the work, m0

and means for automatically restoring said member to stopping position when pressure thereupon is removed.

3. A. motor driven sewing machine comprising, a sewing head including stitchforming and feeding mechanisms, a driving motor, and a motor controller including a controller operating lever fulcrumed on a horizontal axis and including a handle extending toward the line of feed and disposed Within reach of the operators forearm or hand Without necessitating removal of the hand from its position in guiding the Work said controller operating to start and increase the speed of the motor when the handle is depressed.

4. A motor driven sewing machine comprising, in combination, a sewing head having a flat cloth-plate and including stitchforming and feeding mechanisms, a driving motor, a motor speed controlling rheostat electrically connected to said motor,- and a manually operated controller lever including a handle disposed substantially parallel to the front edge of the cloth-plate, and depressible to regulate the speed of the driving motor.

5. A motor driven sewing machine comprising, in combination, a sewing head, a supporting buse therefor, a driving motor, a motor speed controlling rheostat mounted Within said base and including a pvoted contact arm, and a manually controlled lever mounted on a horizontal axis and connected to said pivoted contact arm, said lever including a depressible handle extending to a position Within reach of the operators forearm or hand Without necessitating removal of the hand from its position in guiding the Work.

ln testimony whereof, l have signed my name to this specification.

MARTlN HEMLEB. 

